Manchester is a busy place. There's already the Manchester International Festival, MAPS, the Hungry Pigeon music festival, the Tony Wilson-conceived In The City event and an embarrassing wealth of music and arts venues. Fittingly, there are almost as many creative arty types in the city as there are premier league footballers and soap stars. Almost.

FutureEverything 2010

The one event that perhaps best encapsulates this most modern and vibrant of European cities is the annual happening that is FutureEverything (no space). Born in the mid-nineties, FutureEverything has become an annual celebration of modern art and music and an opportunity for luminaries and upstarts in both spheres to come together and show off.

In their own words, FutureEverything uses 'mass participation in creativity and social innovation to bring the future into the present. It has a strong global network and international profile, and is recognised around the world for leading pioneering projects and important international debates'. Sounds alright, doesn't it?

In truth, FE really has delivered world-class talent to the city year on year and 2010 will be no different as an extraordinarily eclectic blend of talent and promise will intoxicate Manchester's in-crowd for four hectic and heady days in mid-May.

Venues from the BBC Oxford Road studios, the Kro2 bar, the Deaf Institute and the Manchester Academy will, amongst others, host performers including the Animal Collective and Kyle Hall, to name just two of the dozens of artists involved.

Plaid

The lauded Victoria Baths provides a great example of what FE is all about as the venue welcomes sound recordist Ross Adams, UK electronica pioneers Plaid and the Sámi poet Synnøve Persen for Nord Rute, their sonic interpretation of Nils-Aslak Valkeapää's poem 'No.272'. The audience will be invited to sit or lie down upon reindeer pelts, given blindfolds and immersed in a psycho-acoustic experience. As urban cultural events go, FutureEverything assaults the senses in ways few others do.

Konono No. 1

Other music events planned include experimental artists Ryoji Ikeda and Pan Sonic 's Mika Vainio on 12th May, whilst intriguing Congolese band Konono No. 1, whose instruments are fashioned from old car parts, megaphones and discarded amps are playing alongside dubstep producer Bass Clef on Thursday 13th May.

Moldover

The Friday features electronics-tweaker Moldover as well as Atau and Adam at Contact, whilst Syrian musician Syrian musician Omar Souleyman is playing alongside Mark Ernestus, Paul St. Hilaire, King Midas Sound, Demdike Stare, Andy Votel and Conor Thomas at Sound Control and over a the Mint Lounge, Animal Collective and Danny Perez present a screening of the psychedelic film 'ODDSAC'.

Rob Hall

Things get grimey on Saturday 15th May when L-Vis 1990 and friends take charge at Sound Control, with laptop musician/ producer Kyle Hall plays the Soup Kitchen, with Rob Hall, Cosmic Force, Ali Renault and Peter Mangalore provide the dancefloor tweakery over at the Deaf Institute.

Tickets for all the art and music events are on sale now - day and full festival passes are also available.